Watching You
by lazycatgurl06
Summary: When do I leave?" "Tonight." He smiled. "I'll be ready. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to tending the garden, the hour is up." She turned and jogged back to her previous spot. Finally, freedom.Although, I may be paying too high a price...
1. Spying on Freedom

_I can see you… Save me please! I know you can, mister! Don't let them take me! I don't wanna be a slave! Mister… Please…! Mister… Mister…_

A young girl lying in bed reaches up her hand to wipe the sweat off her brow. 'What a dream…' She rolled out of bed to begin her early morning chores. 'Ha. I beat the sun rise again…with out a wakeup call.' She bent her head down and shook it while she made her way to the garden to get a head start on her weeding. Maybe she'd get lucky and score some relaxation time. Smiling to herself she thought 'No. They aren't that nice. They'll think of something for me to do.'

Ripping up the weeds she thought of her mother. The only thing she could remember about her mother was that she always smelled like dirt from working in their small veggie garden in the back yard. Her thoughts flowed to her father, and her smile evaporated instantly, turning into a glower. She started tearing at the weeds. Damn him! He put me here! All for his gambling… and alcohol… Damn him!

"well, well, looks like we have an early riser. Workin' harder than she does in the day too. Maybe she needs somethin'…"

'Shit! The shift master!' Startled, she immediately turned and bowed low. "Sorry, Sir…" she said softly, maintaining her position.

"If you're gonna work, work, damnit! Don't stop to apologize, or I'll have to git everyone else up t'work wit ya!" He shoved her down in the dirt.

"Yessir!" she replied as she started ripping at the weeds again.

"Good girl… Maybe I'll git ya some down time… if you can keep it up…" he laughed and started to swaggered off.

"Now that's no way to treat a lady." She glanced up out of the corner of her eye, not daring to stop. No point in risking punishment if he's only going to make things worse for himself. Her gaze slid up his body, searching for his face. Stopping in her tracks, only one word fell from her mouth, "You…"

Hearing her own voice she jumped and went back to work. Fortunately, it went unnoticed by the shift master. "Who'r you to tell me how to treat… a… slave. Good mornin' sir. What can I do for ya?" His tone went from angry to respectful in the slow manner that is the way of the south.

"Well, you can treat this lady properly. After all, she does do all the dirty work." He gave the man a cold smile.

"Of course, Sir. Kaoru, you get an hour's free time this afternoon. Keep up the work." The earlier threat still lingering in his voice and false smile.

"T-thank you, sir." Her hands had never stopped working.

"Well, Since you have an hour, would the lovely lady like to spend it with me?" His smile warmed.

"I-it would be and honor, sir, but, may I ask what you have in mind?" No way I'm agreeing to spend an hour with a guy I only know by face... Who know's what he's got in mind...

"Only dinner and perhaps talk of adoption into our special clan."

"What would this entail?"

"Fancy words for a slave... Master, Might I request that the hour be given now?"

"Of course, sir..." The master stomped away to hide his glare. Kaoru felt sorry for the slaves, they would be worked harder today because of her.

"Tell me, how did you come to the life of a slave?"

"Tell me your name and what your offer entails. Perhaps I might tell you."

"Well, my name is Soujiro, and our clan simply requires you willingness to go to the Battosai's manor and be our spy."

"I do not know this Battosai, you will have to tell me more about him before I accept your offer. As for me, I used to be a noble's daughter before he lost himself to money and alcohol..." she walked with a straight back, hands clasped behind her. Her face drained of all emotion in her effort to contain her rage.

"It's sad how often that happens... And as for Battosai, he is a murdering meddler. We need to know who he's working for in order to continue with our plans."

"And what might your plans be?"

"Peace and equality. The current Government is insufficient, we seek to destroy it and replace it with our own."

"Hmm... Perhaps... but, what's in it for me?" she raised a brow and observed the man, no, he's more like a boy beside her.

"Your freedom from slavery."

"Deal." They shook hands."When do I leave?"

"Tonight." He smiled.

"I'll be ready. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to tending the garden, the hour is up." She turned and jogged back to her previous spot. Finally, freedom. Although, I may be paying too high a price...


	2. A Goodbye Gift

Chapter 2: Watching You

'Finally, I'm done.' Kaoru wiped the dirt from her hands and made her way to the nearest water spiket. Her eyes drifted over the lazy clouds in the sky. A smile breaking through the dirt on her face. 'I'm almost there. Almost to freedom. But what did I give up? I shouldn't have been so eager, should have waited for information first...' She splashed her face with the luke warm water after rinsing her hands. 'At the same time though, anything I get from the boy... josai? No, that wasn't it...damn me and my faulty memory!' she sighed. 'Any info from him is bound to be slanted. I won't know what side I'm truly on until I meet the man I'm spying on... Or the family I'll be 'adopted' into... Damn my impatience....'

Walking into her hut, Kaoru saw a note on her bed. 'Did that boy..?' She frowned and scooped it up. Turning it over, her name was scripted in fancy cursive. 'Thank Kami I paid attention when father was still able to pay for a tutor...' Kaoru stared a moment longer. Then she ripped it open. A piece of paper stuck out with the same high-class writing. 'That's his name, Soujiro!' She read the letter twice, and smiled. A coach would arrive at sunset to pick her up and Soujiro would be waiting with a file on the Battousai.

Smiling she raced around her little hut and gathered what few possesions she had and tied them all up into a blanket. 'I would prefer to have some type of bag... but this will have to do.' Kaoru glanced out at the sun. 'I still have time... Might as well leave a parting gift to Master Hiruma Gohei and his brother.' Her smile twisted into a glaring smirk. They would pay for her suffering.

Leaving her things, she walked into the dojo. Their prized student was practicing. 'Like always. they aren't very good teachers, letting a boy of only 9 hold a sword without supervision! It's time the boy got a real lesson.' "Boy, What's your name?" Kaoru called to him, schooling her face.

"Myojin Yahiko. Who are you and what do you want? I'm busy." he glared but didn't stop his training.

She bristled. Anger slipping through Kaoru's mask. "I am Kamiya Kaoru. I want to spar."

Yahiko stopped. "Aren't you a slave?"

"What does it matter?" She walked up to the rack of dusty wooden swords. 'which were the ones he was supposed to be practicing with.' Kaoru's mood soured.

"It doesn't, I'll just have to put you in your place." he took an unsteady stance.

She tossed him a wooden sword which skidded at his feet, then turned and said, "I have no sword, so to make this fair, we'll use these." Kaoru grabbed one for herself. and turned to face him with the stance her father taught her before he was lost. Sadness welled up at the memory, threatening to ruin her composure. She held it down with her nightmare-come-to-life.

The boy was gawking. "You can't be serious! How can you have a serious duel with wooden swords?!"

She rolled her eyes. 'This better not take long, I have plans after all.' "I said I wanted a spar, not a duel. I don't want to die just yet, and nor do I feel like shedding innocent blood. Wooden swords will do, now pick it up."

He grumbled, attempted to sheath his sword, and ended up cutting his hand. "Stop, Just toss it aside." she commanded.

He glowered at the sheath, then at his hand and obeyed. "Is it deep?"

"Not enough to keep from putting you in your place." He growled. 'Good tolerance for pain... but will he be smart and--!' He grabbed the sword and made a charge straight for her. 'Guess he's not going to wrap it then.' She dodged.

He charged again.

She dodged.

He charged.

She dodged.

"Sit still will you?!"

"No opponent in real life would do that, why should I? We are practicing after all."

She charged. He stepped to the side and made a swing aimed at her lower back. She dropped the sword and blocked with her arms crossed above her head. Grabbing the sword she yanked it from his grasp and grabbed hers. Leaving him unarmed. 'Well that was short... I thought he'd been trained at least a little better than that!' "Do you forfeit?" She watched his face. He was astonished at first, so much so that he hadn't even realized his sword was gone, then he was flooded with anger.

"HOW DARE A SLAVE BEST ME?!" He started shouting, eyes closed. 'Throwing a tantrum... typical.' She rolled her eyes. "I AM THE TRAINED STUDENT AND YOU ARE A NOBODY!!! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY--!!!" She walked up and knocked him in the head with her fist. He fell to the floor, sufficiently astonished into silence once again. She placed the wooden swords by the door, and left.

'Master Gohei should have some trouble with him now. That boy'll be begging for a secret technique that doesn't exist because the only thing Master knows about swords is how much they cost!' She started giggling. She turned her face to the sky, about to start laughing, when she noticed its color. The sun was setting! 'Shit!!! I shouldn't have wasted so much time!!!!' She ran back to her hut, grabbed her things and booked it to the front of the front gates of the compound. She spotted Soujiro walking towards the coach just as she rounded the corner.


End file.
